Stem Cell News

January 06, 2012

NSCI Research Group Identifies a Novel Stem Cell Source in the Adult Human Eye

RENSSELAER, N.Y. — Researchers at the Neural Stem Cell Institute have discovered a new adult stem cell source at the back of the human eye which, they believe, may one day aid in the repair of damage caused by age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of vision loss in those over age 60.

Led by Dr. Sally Temple, Co-Founder and Scientific Director of the Neural Stem Cell Institute (NSCI), the findings were published in the January issue of Cell Stem Cell, the journal of the International Society for Stem Cell Research.

This new human stem cell can be isolated from the eye — the retinal pigment epithelium stem cell (RPESC).

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a single layer of cells in the back of the eye essential for proper vision. The RPE layer is generated very early in embryonic development, leading Dr. Temple and her colleagues to test whether they possessed stem-cell-like characteristics.

They found that a small percentage of cells culture from the RPE divided prolifically and produced many new cells and shared markers of stem cells. These RPESCs seem to be silent or dormant inside the normal adult eye, but once extracted they activate and behave as stem cells.

These RPESCs were capable of making stable, healthy RPE cells. And, the RPESCs also could be turned into cells with features of neurons, bone cartilage, fat and muscle cells.

In this study, RPESCs were isolated from all donors tested, ranging in age from 22 to 99. These cells could provide new treatment options for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) that affects more than 10 million Americans.

During AMD, RPE cells begin to die; and, as the disease progresses, typically there is significant vision loss.

Since RPESCs can re-make a pure population of RPE in the culture dish, they can potentially be used for transplantation to help repair the diseased RPE.

Studies on animal models of AMD are planned. Additionally, NSCI researchers are examining how many other nervous system cells the RPESC can produce — for example, cells from the brain and spinal cord — making them relevant for treating other nervous system diseases.

“The hope,” said Dr. Temple, is that these cells can be harvested from a patient then re-injected to help repair nervous system damage, without the need for immune-suppressive therapies.”

The researchers at NSCI also are using these new RPESCs as a substrate in the culture dish for drug screening to identify new therapeutics for AMD.

Additionally, because of their ability to turn into other cell types of the brain and spinal cord, future studies will focus on whether they can become relevant to aid spinal cord injuries and for treating central nervous system diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

About the Neural Stem Cell Institute

The Neural Stem Cell Institute (NCSI) it is the only independent, non-profit stem cell research institute in the United States. Headquartered in Rensselaer, it is a unique organization that produces leading stem cell research to develop new therapies for diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). NSCI aims to harness the power of stem cells to ease suffering caused by injury and disease of the brain, spinal cord and retina.

NSCI was founded by MacArthur Award winner, Dr. Sally Temple of Slingerlands, who helped discover and define nervous system stem cells. A native of York, England, she has lived for over 20 years in the Albany area and leads a team of researchers focused on using neural stem cell therapies for brain, eye and spinal cord disorders including Alzheimer’s Disease, age-related macular degeneration, spinal cord injury, optic nerve injury, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease.

Our Unique Organization

The Neural Stem Cell Institute (NSCI) is dedicated to developing regenerative stem cell therapies for various diseases of the central nervous system (CNS): the brain, spinal cord and retina, regardless of the cause of injury. Led by MacArthur “Genius” Award winner Dr. Sally Temple who helped discover and define nervous system stem cells, NSCI is the first independent, non-profit stem cell research institute in the USA.